Seizing Opportunities in the Mental Health Parity Act

Employers and health plan administrators wonder how much the Wellstone-Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 will cost once it arrives online in 2010.

Our best advice is to use an ounce of prevention.

The act requires mental health and addiction treatment benefits to be as accessible and affordable as medical and surgical benefits. It’s a tough time for companies to deal with it, given the economy, and we estimate that up to 5 percent of companies may drop mental health coverage altogether, instead.

But there’s another option. A well-coordinated EAP can actually prevent the need for more expensive treatment options.

An EAP service provider will provide mental health professionals to screen employees seeking services. They can identify issues sooner when treatment may be less expensive. And for those companies that discontinue mental health benefits, an extended work/life program – with maybe 10 sessions instead of 3 – can at least begin to address an employee’s needs.

We’ve written a whitepaper on the topic that gives you key details about the act and what it can mean to your company. And given that as many as half of all Americans will face a diagnosable mental health issue at some point, you can assume that your employees will too.